The #1 Way to Stay Hydrated If You Have Diabetes, According to a Dietitian

From eatingwell.com

Drinking up just got a whole lot easier! 

KEY POINTS

• Carrying a water bottle keeps hydration top of mind and prevents dehydration-related fatigue.
• Staying hydrated helps manage blood sugar and supports overall metabolic health.

• Add flavour or eat hydrating foods like cucumber and watermelon to meet daily fluid needs.

Limiting carbohydrates, staying active and prioritizing protein and fibre often steal the spotlight when it comes to managing diabetes. However, there's one simple but powerful strategy that often gets overlooked: hydration. Drinking water sounds easy enough, but falling short could have a big impact on your blood sugar and metabolic health. 

If drinking more water feels like a constant struggle, there's one habit that's sure to help you stay hydrated: keeping a water bottle on hand. We spoke with a diabetes expert to find out why it's so effective. Here's what she told us. 

How Carrying a Water Bottle Can Help You Stay Hydrated 

Carrying a water bottle with you, whether you're at home, running errands or working, keeps hydration top of mind and helps you stay ahead of thirst. "If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already slightly dehydrated, which can lead to elevated blood sugar levels along with fatigue," says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, CDE. "Having a water bottle with you gives you a visual reminder to drink, which helps to make sure you are consistently taking in water all day long." 

It also provides an easy way to gauge how much you've had to drink and how much more you need to hit your daily water goals. Just like carrying a snack helps prevent dips in blood sugar and energy levels, having a water bottle on hand will help you avoid the effects of dehydration, including headaches, fatigue and high blood sugar. 

Plus, when you've got water nearby, you're less likely to stop for a soda or sugar-sweetened drink. Not only do sugary drinks spike blood sugar, they may ironically contribute to dehydration. "If you consume an excessive amount of added sugar, this can draw water from your cells into the bloodstream, increasing urination and impairing fluid balance," says Palinski-Wade. Even specialty hydration drinks can have added sugars. That doesn't mean all hydration drinks are bad. Some are sugar-free. To find out for sure, check the Nutrition Facts panel on the label.

Of course, you may be wondering how much fluid you need each day to stay hydrated. While the answer is different for everybody, a good goal is roughly 13 cups for men and 9 cups for women. However, your unique needs may differ depending on the temperature, if you exercise and your body weight, medications and health conditions. 

                                                                 Credit:  Design elements: Getty Images. EatingWell design

Hydration and Blood Sugar Management

Why is hydration so important for people with diabetes? Water makes up 55 to 65% of our bodies and plays an instrumental role in every single one of its functions. "If the body becomes dehydrated, blood sugar becomes more concentrated, leading to higher blood sugar levels and an increased strain on the body organs, like the kidneys, as they work to eliminate the excess glucose in urine," says Palinski-Wade.

While staying hydrated supports healthy blood sugar levels, research shows it also improves overall metabolic health, potentially reducing the risk of weight gain, obesity and heart disease. Hydration is also associated with improved cognition, energy levels and mood, which may make it easier to eat better and exercise. 

Other Strategies for Hydration

Make carrying a water bottle a habit you'll stick with by choosing a bottle that sparks joy, is lightweight, comfortable to hold and won't leak when tossed in a bag or the car. 

These other strategies can also help improve your hydration game.

• Track Your Water: Whether you're just starting your hydration journey or trying to stay consistent, logging your water intake can help you stay on track. "You can use apps such as MyFitnessPal to track your fluid intake or use your phone to set reminders to drink throughout the day," says Palinski-Wade. Monitoring your water intake can also help you identify patterns when you're more likely to forget to drink water. 
• Add Low-Sugar Flavour: If plain water feels boring, try sprucing it up with fresh fruit and herbs. You can also alternate regular water with plain or flavoured sparkling water. Or, try adding a sugar-free flavour packet to your H2O.  
• Eat Hydrating Foods: Drinks aren't the only way to hit your daily fluid goals. Foods provide 20% of our daily fluids, especially hydrating foods like fruits and veggies. "Try adding foods such as cucumber, watermelon, lettuce and celery to your plate to boost your water intake," says Palinski-Wade. Not only do these foods give you fluids, they're packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre to support balanced blood sugar and overall health. 
• Check Your Urine Colour: It may sound strange, but a quick and easy way to measure your hydration status is by simply checking the colour of your pee. Light-coloured urine is a sign of adequate hydration. The darker the urine becomes, the more likely it is that you need to drink up.

Our Expert Take

Hydration may not get as much attention as carbohydrates or exercise when it comes to managing diabetes. But it plays a key role in healthy blood sugar levels and can help you feel healthier and more energetic overall. That's why staying ahead of your thirst by keeping a water bottle on hand is the No. 1 habit to support healthy hydration while managing diabetes. For the best results, pair this habit with other expert-approved strategies like tracking your water intake, drinking no-added-sugar beverages, eating hydrating foods and monitoring your urine colour. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to drink up!

https://www.eatingwell.com/way-to-stay-hydrated-with-diabetes-11951769

This Common Vitamin May Help Stop Prediabetes From Turning Into Diabetes

From scitechdaily.com 

Vitamin D may help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with specific genetic variations, offering a possible path toward personalized diabetes prevention

More than 40% of U.S. adults have prediabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet high enough for a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. New research suggests vitamin D could help slow or prevent that progression in some people, depending on their genetics.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that adults with prediabetes who carried certain variations of the vitamin D receptor gene had a 19% lower risk of developing diabetes when they took a high daily dose of vitamin D.

Researchers say the findings could eventually support more personalized approaches to diabetes prevention for the roughly 115 million Americans living with prediabetes.

The team examined data from the D2d study, a large multi-site clinical trial involving more than 2,000 U.S. adults with prediabetes. Participants received either 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily or a placebo to test whether supplementation could reduce diabetes risk.

Scientists have uncovered evidence that genetics may influence whether vitamin D can help prevent type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes. Credit: Stock

Why the Original D2d Trial Raised New Questions

The original D2d trial did not show a significant drop in diabetes risk across all participants.

“But the D2d results raised an important question: Could vitamin D still benefit some people?” said Bess Dawson-Hughes, the study’s lead author and a senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

“Diabetes has so many serious complications that develop slowly over years. If we can delay the time period that an individual will spend living with diabetes, we can stop some of those harmful side effects or lessen their severity.”

Earlier work from the D2d team found that participants with blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D between 40 and 50 ng/mL or higher showed progressively greater reductions in diabetes risk.

Vitamin D Receptor Gene Variations Explained

Vitamin D in the bloodstream must first be converted into its active form before attaching to the vitamin D receptor, a protein that helps cells respond to the nutrient. Researchers suspected that genetic differences in this receptor could explain why vitamin D appeared to help some people but not others. Insulin-producing cells in the pancreas also contain vitamin D receptors, suggesting the vitamin may play a role in insulin release and blood sugar regulation.

For the new analysis, researchers examined genetic data from 2,098 trial participants who agreed to DNA testing. They compared people who appeared to benefit from vitamin D supplementation with those who did not, focusing on three common variations in the vitamin D receptor gene.

The results showed that adults with the AA variation of the ApaI vitamin D receptor gene, which accounted for about 30% of participants, did not benefit from high-dose vitamin D treatment compared with placebo. However, adults with the AC or CC variations experienced a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes when taking vitamin D.

Personalized Diabetes Prevention Potential

“The findings may represent an important step toward developing a personalized approach to lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among high-risk adults,” said Anastassios Pittas, the study’s senior author, a professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, and chief of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Tufts Medical Center.

“Part of what makes vitamin D appealing as a potential preventive tool is that it is inexpensive, widely available, and easy for people to take.”

Researchers stressed that the findings should not encourage people to start taking high doses of vitamin D without medical advice. Current recommendations call for 600 IU daily for people ages 1 to 70 and 800 IU daily for adults older than 70.

High Vitamin D Risks and Future Genetic Screening

Too much vitamin D can be harmful and has been associated with a greater risk of falls and fractures in older adults. Scientists say more studies are needed to determine which individuals could safely benefit from higher doses.

“Our findings suggest we may eventually be able to identify which patients with prediabetes are most likely to benefit from additional vitamin D supplementation,” said Dawson-Hughes. “In principle, this could involve a single, relatively inexpensive genetic test.”

https://scitechdaily.com/this-common-vitamin-may-help-stop-prediabetes-from-turning-into-diabetes/

What to Do If You’re Stranded at the Airport Without Insulin

From beyondtype1.org

By Christine Fallabel

Travel season is quickly approaching, and a lot of people will be racking up frequent flyer miles in the coming months. Air travel can seem miraculous: you wake up in your regular bed, in your regular town and can go to sleep across the country or even the world, just a few hours later. 

But like with any kind of travel, flying doesn’t come without hiccups. Delayed and cancelled flights, bad weather, mechanical issues, and missed connections can leave travellers stuck this summer. And for people living with diabetes, those hiccups can spell danger.

If you find yourself separated from your diabetes supplies—and most importantly, your insulin—it can turn into an emergency quickly.

This article will tell you exactly what you should do if you find yourself stranded at the airport without insulin. 

First, check in with your body

Maybe you missed your connection, and your checked luggage with your supply of insulin went with it. Maybe your flight got rerouted. Maybe you forgot your insulin at home. Maybe your site is ripped out and you don’t have any insulin in your carry-on bag. 

Try not to panic. You are not powerless in this situation, especially if you’re still within the United States, where diabetes is a protected disability. 

Start by assessing your physical state and how you feel. If you can check your blood sugar or have access to your continuous glucose monitor (CGM), make sure you’re within a healthy and safe range.

Next, hydrate

If your blood sugar is rising and you’re without any insulin (your insulin pump reservoir is empty or has been pulled out, or all your syringes and vials aren’t within reach), start drinking water immediately. Hydration is key. 

Hydrating won’t lower your blood sugar, but it can help you manage a spiralling high blood sugar in the short term. It will also help prevent dehydration, which can contribute to life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). So, drink up! 

This is the part where you ask for help 

Ask for help immediately. Do not wait, and do not apologize. 

Even if your blood sugar is lower than 100 mg/dL, you will need insulin eventually. Airports are staffed environments with layers of support—and for good reason! 

Millions of people with many different types of chronic conditions pass through airports every single day, and you aren’t the first person with diabetes to find themselves without their insulin. 

• Find an airport employee, go to the information desk, or ask an airline for a supervisor. Explain the situation: you have insulin-dependent diabetes, and you’re without your insulin. Explain that it is a medical necessity. 
• Some airports have pharmacies where you may be able to get an emergency supply of insulin. If not, most airports have first aid stations that are equipped to deal with medical emergencies, including diabetes. If nothing is available on-site, airport employees can connect you with local emergency services.
  
• On-site paramedics can assess your condition and, if necessary, transport you to a nearby hospital where insulin is available. If you’re hesitant about the cost or escalation, remember that untreated high blood sugar levels can become dangerous quickly. This is not an overreaction, and your health comes first. 
• Lastly, you can also talk with your airline. While they’re not medical providers, they do commit to passenger safety, especially if you’re stranded without insulin on a layover. 

In some cases, they may be able to help you with the logistics of your travel: rebooking a flight, helping you exit the airport and re-enter security more smoothly or connecting you with airport medical resources more quickly. 

Keep your phone charged and ready 

If you’re able, use your phone as a lifeline. Call your doctor, who may be able to send a prescription to a nearby pharmacy for an emergency pickup. 

Sometimes pharmacists can fill an emergency supply of insulin without a prescription, depending on your state. 

You can use your phone to map out the closest pharmacy and medical center to the airport where you’re located.

Leave the airport if you need to

Understandably, you may be hesitant to leave the airport. But forget about the logistics of your trip and remember that your health is the priority. Flights can always be rebooked. Accept that your travel plans might get derailed due to your diabetes, and that’s okay. So leave the airport if you need to. 

If you have family or friends in the city where you’re stuck, they may also be able to help. A trusted loved one may be able to drive you for medical care or to a pharmacy. 

Especially if you’ve let your airline know what’s going on, you should be able to re-enter the airport and catch your connection if your layover is long enough.

Don’t keep this to yourself

If you’re traveling with others, let them know what’s going on. It doesn’t help anyone to stress alone, and people almost always want to help.

Whether they can watch your bags for you while you seek assistance or stay with you as you call your doctor for guidance, support is crucial. 

Additionally, let your loved ones not traveling with you know what’s going on as well. If you’re at an airport nearby, they may be able to get your insulin to you quickly or know someone who can. Help is usually within six degrees of separation. 

You will get through this

Life happens. But you will get through this. Bags get lost, flights get rerouted and insulin vials shatter. But what’s important is to remember that most people know what diabetes is and they realize how important insulin is for a person living with diabetes.

If you lose money on a flight, so be it. You can rebook for another day. Nothing is worth the risk of DKA or life-threatening hypoglycemia. These are hard and unfair choices to make, but it is life with diabetes. 

So if you find yourself stranded at an airport without your insulin, take a breath. Drink some water. Ask for help loudly and fast. Use every resource available to you, and don’t board another flight until you have a backup plan in place. Your diabetes, your health and your life matter the most. 

https://beyondtype1.org/stranded-at-the-airport-without-insulin/